Fire-escape



(Hommel.)

v .151. G.'STOCKHAM & J. ADAMS.

'PIRE EsGAP-E.

Patented Dec. 27, 1887..

lllsl 'till -Z 'HIIHIIIII UNITED STATES PATENT Gruen.

HENRY c. sTocKHAM AND JOHN ADAtis, or GERMANY, OHIO.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 375,393, dated December 27,1887.

Application filed July 29,1887. Serial No. 245,623. (No model.)

`ings,and to theletters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to friction rees capes, audits object is to improve the coustruction and operation of such devices. The invention consists in a bracket-frame to be bolted to the wall of a room above a window and to be provided with appliances for making a safe and convenient descent to the ground.

Figure l of the drawings is a frontclevation of the machine; Fig. 2, a vertical section taken on a line cutting through the wound spool in Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 a side elevation of certain parts not fully shown in the first ligure. Y A represents the frame-work of the' inachine, the bracket-like ends of which are represented by a c', while b b represent the crossbars. Y

c represents a strengthening-baracross the middle of the frame, and d d represent the bolts that hold the machine to the wall.

B is a revolvingV drum or cylinder, upon which are disksl e e', that form one .part of the drum into a spool. Upon this spoolis wound the rope D in such a direction that when the rope nnwinds another rope, D', is Wound upon the other part of the drum to fit the machine for further use. A roller, C, helps to steady the ropes in their descents.

A train of ratchet-wheels, h h i, co-operating with a cog-wheel, g, supply the means of retarding the descent of the heavy body. The wheel g is twice the diameter of the wheels h 7L and thrice the diameter of the wheel i, and as these four ratchets gear together it follows that three revolutions of the wheel i are essential to a single revolution of the wheel g. It is also to be noted that as the thickness of the coil of the rope D or D diminishes by unwinding there is a lessening of speed as the body at the free end of the rope approaches the ground.

A thumb screw, G, having a pointer, H, in connection with a numbered scale, K, enables a person about to descend to graduate the friction against the revolving drum to correspond with his Weight or desired speed.

A crank, Z, is provided to enable a person waiting to descend to rewind either unwound rope if it should fail to rewind automatically.

Ve claim as follows:

A vfriction fire escape consisting in the combination of the frame A, the drum B,hav

ing disks e c,and spur-wheel g,rigi dly attached to the shaft of said drum, the gear-wheels h 71. ,'each rigidly attached to its own separate shaft, the screw-lever G, having a pointer, H,

' the scale K, the rope D, and lthe rope D', in

the manner and for the purposes described.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures iu presence of two witnesses.

` HENRY C. STOCKHAM.

, JOHN ADAMS.

Witnesses:

Jos. ARMsrRoNe, BRUNsoN HOLTDN. 

